Vusumuzi Dube
Amanda Mlevu, Sunday News Reporter
BIRDLIFE Zimbabwe hosted a workshop in Bulawayo aimed at increasing understanding and coverage of the decline of vultures and belief-based use.
The workshop which was held on Thursday was in partnership with the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and the Traditional Medicine Practitioners Council.
Speaking at the workshop at NUST, BirdLife Zimbabwe Preventing Extinctions programme officer, Mr Leeroy Moyo said they have noticed that vultures are at risk.
“As BirdLife we have gone to the extent of championing vulture conservation as they have been endangered due to a number of reasons that include being used by traditional healers and faith healers that hold certain beliefs.
“Vultures are important in the environment because they are nature’s clean-up crew. They keep the environment free from rotting carcasses and help contain the spread of diseases such as anthrax, botulism and rabies,” said Mr Moyo.
He said it was crucial to conserve vultures since they had poor breeding success where they reach sexual maturity after six years, while if a pair died, it would take nine years to replace it.
Mr Moyo said misconceptions have led to the decline of vultures as they are being harvested for ritual purposes which have seen vultures’ feet amputated, no beaks and sometimes no heads.
NUST lecturer and researcher in the Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management, Dr Josephine Mundava said certain types of vultures were becoming extinct in Zimbabwe.
“We have conducted a number of research on vultures as they have been increasingly falling prey to humans. Research conducted by BirdLife Zimbabwe and NUST has indicated that vulture parts are used in 27 percent of traditional healing sessions thereby contributing to a population decline. Some traditional healers are known to prepare charms from vulture parts which are believed to bring good fortune.”
She said there was a need to raise awareness and educate people on the importance of conserving vultures.
Dr Leslie Marisa from Traditional Medical Practitioners Council (TMPC) said there was need to engage traditional healers and faith healers to stop killing the birds.
“We know they have beliefs and we are not disputing them but those beliefs should not put the environment at risk. Traditional healers, herbalists and faith healers need to transform from the past and move in line with the National Development Strategy 1 anchored on Vision 2030.”
Journalists were urged to raise public awareness on the importance of vultures and how their decline affects communities.
Bongani Ndlovu